Early city directories tended to see hard use; 19th century gilt printing on glazed boards adds another layer of fragility. Having your city burn down doesn’t do wonders for survival either. This lovely fragile survival is the Thrall Business Directory of Chicago, for 1871-72 (Chicago, 1871), evidently known in two institutional holdings only. A snapshot of a great American city prior to a transformation — and with some nifty display typefaces to boot. Check out bibliophagist.com and do some Boolean searching: if you can find it, you can buy it. (Happy to answer any questions — let me know.) #chicago#chicagofire#americana#midwest#rarebooks